Non- Examined Assessment Policy

Chauncy School

Definition

Purpose of the policy

What are non-examination assessments?

Procedures for planning and managing non-examination assessments identifying staff roles and responsibilities

The basic principles

Task setting

Issuing of tasks

Task taking

Supervision

Advice and feedback

Resources

Word and time limits

Collaboration and group work

Authentication procedures

Presentation of work

Keeping materials secure

Task marking – externally assessed components

Conduct of externally assessed work

Submission of work

Task marking – internally assessed components

Marking and annotation

Internal standardisation

Consortium arrangements

Submission of marks and work for moderation

Storage and retention of work after submission of marks

External moderation - feedback

Access arrangements

Special consideration

Malpractice

Enquiries about results

Practical Skills Endorsement for the A Level Sciences designed for use in England

Spoken Language Endorsement for GCSE English Language specifications designed for use in England

Definition

This policy affects the delivery of subjects of reformed GCE and GCSE qualifications which contain a component(s) of non-examination assessment (‘NEA)’. This can be any type of assessment that is not externally set and taken by candidates at the same time under controlled conditions.

‘NEA’ therefore includes, but is not limited to, internal assessment. Externally marked and/or externally set practical examinations taken at different times across centres are classified as ‘NEA’.”

[JCQ publication Instructions for conducting non-examination assessments]

Purpose of the policy

The purpose of this policy, as defined by JCQ, is to

• cover procedures for planning and managing non-examination assessments
• define staff roles and responsibilities with respect to non-examination assessments
• manage risks associated with non-examination assessments

What are non-examination assessments?

“Non-examination assessments measure subject-specific knowledge and skills that cannot be tested by timed written papers.

There are three assessment stages and rules which apply to each stage. These rules often vary across subjects. The stages are:

• task setting;
• task taking;
• task marking.”

Procedures for planning and managing non-examination assessments identifying staff roles and responsibilities

The basic principles

Head of centre

• Ensures that the centre’s non-examination assessment policy is fit for purpose
• Ensures the centre’s internal appeals procedures clearly detail the procedure to be followed by candidates (or their parents/carers) appealing against internallyassessed marks

Head of Department/ Quality assurance (QA) lead/Lead internal verifier

• Provides the dates for any NEA to the exams officer and the center-wide calendar at the start of the new academic year.
• Ensure that appropriate awarding body forms and templates for non-examination assessments are used and understood by both teachers and candidates
• Ensures appropriate procedures are in place to internally standardise/verify the marks awarded by subject teachers in line with awarding body criteria
• Ensures subject teachers understand their role and responsibilities within the non-examination assessment process
• Ensures JCQ instructions and relevant awarding body subject specific instructions are followed in relation to the conduct of non-examination assessments.

Subject teacher

• Understands and complies with the awarding body’s specification for conducting non-examination assessments, including any subject-specific instructions, teachers’ notes or additional information on the awarding body’s website
• Marks internally assessed work to the criteria provided by the awarding body
• Ensures the exams officer is provided with relevant entry codes for subjects (whether the entry for the internally assessed component forms part of the overall entry code or is made as a separate unit entry code) to the internal deadline for entries

Task setting

Head of Department

• Selects tasks from a choice provided by the awarding body OR designs tasks where this is permitted by criteria set out within the subject specification
• Makes candidates aware of the criteria used to assess their work

Issuing of tasks

Head of Department

• Determines when set tasks are issued by the awarding body
• Identifies date(s) when tasks should be taken by candidates
• Accesses set tasks in sufficient time to allow planning, resourcing and teaching and ensures that materials are stored securely at all times
• Ensures requirements for legacy specification tasks and new specification tasks are distinguished between

Task taking

Supervision

Head of Department/ Quality assurance (QA) lead/Lead internal verifier

• Checks the awarding body’s subject-specific requirements ensuring candidates take tasks under the required conditions and supervision arrangements
• Ensures there is sufficient supervision to enable the work of a candidate to be authenticated and that

The work a candidate submits is their own.

• Where candidates may work in groups, keeps a record of each candidate’s contribution
• Ensures candidates are aware of the JCQ documents Information for candidates - non-examination assessmentsand Information for candidates - Social Media
• Ensures candidates understand and comply with the regulations in relevant JCQ documents Information for candidates

Advice and feedback

Subject teacher

• As relevant to the subject/component, advises candidates on relevant aspects before candidates begin working on a task
• When reviewing candidates’ work, unless prohibited by the specification, provides oral and written advice at a general level to candidates
• Allow candidates to revise and re-draft work after advice has been given at a general level
• Records any assistance given beyond general advice and takes it into account in the marking or submits it to the external examiner
• Ensures when work has been assessed, candidates are not allowed to revise it

Resources

Subject teacher

• Refers to the awarding body’s specification and/or associated documentation to determine if candidates have restricted/unrestricted access to resources when planning and researching their tasks
• Ensures conditions for any formally supervised sessions are known and put in place
• Ensures conditions for any formally supervised sessions are understood and followed by candidates
• Ensures candidates understand that they are not allowed to introduce improved notes or new resources between formally supervised sessions
• Ensures that where appropriate to include references, candidates keep a detailed record of their own research, planning, resources etc.

Word and time limits

Subject teacher

• Refers to the awarding body’s specification to determine where word and time limits apply/are mandatory

Collaboration and group work

Subject teacher

• Unless stated otherwise in the awarding body’s specification, and where appropriate, allows candidates to collaborate when carrying out research and preparatory work
• Ensures that it is possible to attribute assessable outcomes to individual candidates
• Ensures that where an assignment requires written work to be produced, each candidate writes up their own account of the assignment
• Assesses the work of each candidate individually

Authentication procedures

Subject teacher

• Where required by the awarding body’s specification
• ensures candidates sign a declaration confirming the work they submit for final assessment is their own unaided work
• signs the teacher declaration of authentication confirming the requirements have been met
• Keeps signed candidate declarations on file until the deadline for enquiries about results has passed or until any appeal, malpractice or other results enquiry has been completed, whichever is later
• Provides signed candidate declarations where these may be requested by a JCQ Centre Inspector
• Where there may be doubt about the authenticity of the work of a candidate or if malpractice is suspected, follows the authentication procedures and malpractice information in NEAand informs the exams officer

Presentation of work

Subject teacher

• Instructs candidates to present work as detailed in NEAunless the awarding body’s specification gives different subject-specific instructions
• Instructs candidates to add their candidate number, centre number and the component code of the assessment as a header/footer on each page of their work

Keeping materials secure

Head of Department

• When work is being undertaken by candidates under formal supervision, ensures work is securely stored between sessions (if more than one session)in a locked cupboard or safe.
• When work is submitted by candidates for final assessment, ensures work is securely stored
• Takes sensible precautions when work is taken home for marking
• Stores internally assessed work, including the sample returned after awarding body moderation, securely until the closing date for enquiries about results or until the outcome of an enquiry or any subsequent appeal has been conveyed to the Centre
• Reminds candidates of the need to keep their own work secure at all times and not share completed or partially completed work on-line, on social media or through any other means
• Liaises with the IT Manager to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to restrict access between sessions to candidates’ work where work is stored electronically

Task marking – externally assessed components

Conduct of externally assessed work

Subject teacher

• Liaises with the exams officer regarding arrangements for the conduct of any externally assessed non-examination component of a specification
• Liaises with the Visiting Examiner where this may be applicable to any externally assessed component

Exams officer

• Provides the Head of Department with the relevant guidelines in order that they conduct theexternally assessed component according to the JCQ publication Instructions for conducting examinations

Submission of work

Subject teacher

• Provides the attendance register to a Visiting Examiner

Exams officer

• Provides the attendance register to the subject teacher where the component may be assessed by a Visiting Examiner
• Ensures the awarding body’s attendance register for any externally assessed component is completed correctly to show candidates who are present and any who may be absent
• Where candidates’ work must be despatched to an awarding body’s examiner, ensures the completed attendance register accompanies the work
• Keeps a copy of the attendance register until after the deadline for enquiries about results for the exam series
• Packages the work as required by the awarding body and attaches the examiner address label
• Despatches the work to the awarding body’s instructions by the required deadline

Task marking – internally assessed components

Marking and annotation

Subject teacher

• Marks candidates’ work in accordance with the marking criteria provided by the awarding body
• Annotates candidates’ work as required to facilitate internal standardisation of marking and enable external moderation to check that marking is in line with the assessment criteria
• Informs candidates of their marks which could be subject to change by the awarding body moderation process
• Ensures candidates are informed in a timely manner to enable an internal appeal to be submitted by a candidate and the outcome known before final marks are submitted to the awarding body

Internal standardisation

Quality assurance (QA) lead/Lead internal verifier

• Ensures that internal standardisation of marks across assessors and teaching groups takes place as required and to sequence

Subject teacher

• Indicates on work (or cover sheet) the date of marking
• Marks to common standards

Consortium arrangements

Subject head/lead

• Ensures a consortium co-ordinator is nominated(where this may be required as the consortium lead)
• Liaises with the exams officer to ensure form JCQ/CCA is submitted to the awarding body for each exam series affected
• Ensures procedures for internal standardisation as a consortium are followed

Subject teacher

• Provides marks to the exams officer to the internal deadline
• Provides the moderation sample to the exams officer to the internal deadline

Exams officer

• Arranges completion of form JCQ/CCA Centre consortium arrangements for centre - assessed work
• Submits form JCQ/CCA to the deadline for each exam series affected
• Submits marks to the awarding body deadline
• Where relevant, liaises with other consortium exams officers to arrange despatch of a single moderation sample to the awarding body deadline

• Where relevant (as the consortium lead), retains all candidates’ work in the consortium until after the deadline for enquiries about results for the exam series

Submission of marks and work for moderation

Subject teacher

• Inputs and submits marks online via the awarding body secure extranet site, keeping a record of the marks awarded to the external deadline
• Provides marks to the exams officer to the internal deadline
• Ensures checks are made that marks for any additional candidatesare submitted and ensures mark input is checked before submission to avoid transcription errors
• Submits the requested samples of candidates’ work to the awarding body moderator by the external deadline, keeping a record of the work submitted/Provides the moderation sample to the exams officer to the internal deadline
• Ensures the moderator is provided with authentication of candidates’ work, confirmation that internal standardisation has been undertaken and any other subject-specific information where this may be required.

Exams officer

• Submits the previously verified marks online via the awarding body secure extranet site, keeping a record of the marks submitted to the external deadline/Confirms with subject teachers that marks have been submitted to the awarding body deadline

• Submits the requested samples of candidates’ work to the moderator by the awarding body deadline, keeping a record of the work submitted/Confirms with Subject teacher that the moderation sample has been submitted to the awarding body deadline
• Ensures that for postal moderation
• work is dispatched in packaging provided by the awarding body
• moderator label(s) provided by the awarding body are affixed to the packaging
• proof of dispatch is obtained and kept on file until the successful issue of final results
• Through the subject teacher, ensures the moderator is provided with authentication of candidates’ work, confirmation that internal standardisation has been undertaken and any other subject-specific information where this may be required

Storage and retention of work after submission of marks

Subject teacher

• Keeps a record of names and candidate numbers for candidates whose work was included in the moderation sample
• Retains all marked candidates’ work (including any sample returned after moderation) under secure conditions until after the deadline for enquiries about results
• Takes steps to protect any work stored electronically from corruption and has a back-up procedure in place
• Retains evidence of work where retention may be a problem (for example, photos of artefacts etc.)

Exams officer

• Ensures any sample returned after moderation is logged and returned to the subject teacher for secure storage and required retention

External moderation - feedback

Subject head/lead

• Checks moderator reports and ensures that any remedial action, if necessary, is undertaken before the next examination series

Exams officer

• Accesses or signposts moderator reports to relevant staff
• Takes remedial action, if necessary, where feedback may relate to centre administration

Access arrangements

Subject teacher

• Works with the SENCo to ensure any access arrangements for eligible candidates are applied to assessments

Special educational needs coordinator (SENCo)

• Follows the regulations and guidance in the JCQ publication Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments
• Where arrangements do not undermine the integrity of the qualification and is the candidate’s normal way of working, will ensure access arrangements are in place and awarding body approval, where required, has been obtained prior to assessments taking place

• Makessubject teachers aware of any access arrangements for eligible candidates which need to be applied to assessments
• Works with subject teachers to ensure requirements for access arrangement candidates requiring the support of a facilitator in assessments are met
• Ensures that staff acting as an access arrangement facilitator are fully trained in their role

Special consideration

Subject teacher

• Understands that a candidate may be eligible for special consideration in assessments in certain situations where a candidate
• is absent
• produces a reduced quantity of work
• work has been lost
• Liaises with the exams officer when special consideration may need to be applied for a candidate taking assessments

Exams officer

• Refers to/directs relevant staff to the JCQ publication A guide to the special consideration process
• Where a candidate is eligible, submits an application for special consideration via the awarding body’s secure extranet site to the prescribed timescale
• Where application for special consideration via the awarding body’s secure extranet site is not applicable, submits the required form to the awarding body to the prescribed timescale
• Keeps required evidence on file to support the application

Malpractice

Head of centre

• Understands the responsibility to report to the relevant awarding body any suspected cases of malpractice involving candidates, teachers, invigilators or other administrative staff
• Is familiar with the JCQ publication Suspected Malpractice in Examinations and Assessments: Policies and Procedures

Subject teacher

• Is aware of the JCQ Notice to Centres - Teachers sharing assessment material and candidates’ work
• Ensures candidates understand the JCQ document Information for candidates - non-examination assessments
• Ensures candidates understand the JCQ documentInformation for candidates - Social Media

Exams officer

• Signposts the JCQ publication Suspected Malpractice in Examinations and Assessments: Policies and Proceduresto the head of centre

• Signposts the JCQ Notice to Centres - Teachers sharing assessment material and candidates’ work to subject heads

• Signposts candidates to the relevant JCQ information for candidates documents
• Where required, supports the head of centre in investigating and reporting incidents of suspected malpractice

Enquiries about results